Csanádpalota

Subject - Matter for the topic of emblem and hereditament

In the Middle Ages in Csanad county there were three settlements called Palota – according to the datas from Dr. Samu Borovszky’s book ’ The History of Csanad county ’and other historians’ work – and this name PALOTA means a ’gentry – house’ in slavic language.

The nearly 600 – year – old village Csanádpalota is in the South – Eastern part of Csongrád county, that’s 16 kms far from Mako and 15 kms far from Mezőhegyes, built between the two towns in the yellow – soiled fields that were formed on the detrial cone by the river Maros. The settlement is just at the border of Romania, 9 kms far from the border crossing point at Nagylak.

Csanádpalota is a tipycal village of Southern lowlands. It has got 7776 acres of administrative territories and 532 acres are clear territories.

Csanádpalota had a central part of the region for a long time, it was a county – centre  after Trianon up to 1950. Unfortunatelly, during the last decades there were  some unfavoruable changes in its demography and the population is getting more and more less.

Nowerdays Csanádpalota is part of the region called Makó’s Region. This region has won the title of ’The Area of Enterprise ’ and the Industrial Centre was built in Makó, too.

The village is in  close connection with some foreign settlements [formed by the Village Government] like, Kőhalom – Pecska (Romania), Padé (Serbia – Montenegro) and Jasló (Poland).

The Coat - of Arms

The Coat – of Arms of the Village  is a kind of ’allusive arms’. (Made by the historian Dr. László Szegfű and graphic Pál Tóth, 1994.)

The heraldic symbol of the Hunyadi family – the raven on the top of the triple – pointed mount relates to the fact that the municipality was used to be possessed by Governor János Hunyadi and his family. The church, the present image of which was first seen on the seal of the village in 1756, symbolizes the development following the resettlement after the peroid of the Turkish rule.

The Five Larks are reminders of the famous artist, László Kelemen who was the first Hungarian - language theatre manager appeared all over the country with his ensemble, but they made most of their performance in Szeged at the inn adressed  to the Five Larks.

Sights and attractions

In the centre of the village there is László Kelemen Square with a park in it. It makes a county town atmosphere with the Village – Hall opposite the church and the residence of the parish – priest. You can find the II. World War Memorial and the memorial tables of the heroes of 1956. There’s a stone – statue at the corner opposite the Village – Hall made by Károly Antal. (1965.)

The Roman Cathlic church was built in 1768 in Baroque style.The picture of its main altar describes St John of Nepomuk curing a sick man / painted by Gy. Szikora, 1850 /.  We can see the original altar-statue not far from the front door outside the church  under a baldachin.

The assistant – minister / 1885-86/ and after-a while the priest of this church  /1894-1910/ was Lajos Kálmány /1852-1919/. He was a well-known searcher of the Hungarian folk-poetry and the relics of peasant’s religion. The memorial tablet with his portrait on it is on the wall of the vicarage facing the church. /made by Arpad Vilaghy, 1999/.

In the side of the church at 42, St. Istvan Str. we can see the Village Museum. Its foundation is due to the peasant-poet and self-educated ethnographer Kálmán P. Asztalos. /1905-1989/.

He collected the objects used in the village in  the XIX-XX. c./ You can visit the museum with the registration at the community house, 40. St. Istvan Str. Tel. 263-048/.

László Kelemen, the first Hungarian-theatre-director is burried in the old cemetory. There is a Memory Park around his tomb  - made by the Cultural Foundation for the Memory of László Kelemen - out of the respect for the Holy Trinity. Here are the cemetory chapel -  built in 1863- and the Pantheon of the fallens in 1848, 1914 and 1944.

Programmes in the Village:

-         The Parish – Feast: that’s on the nearest Sunday before 16 May, the day of the dedication of the church, choosing St. John of Nepomuk as its patron saint

-         The Village Wedding: it’s arranged close to 20 August

-         The Village Days: they’re at the last weekend of September every year organized by the Village Government

-         The Memory Day- out of respect for László Kelemen – It’s in December every year arranged by the Cultural Foundation for the Memory of László Kelemen

-         International Slaughtermen’s Meeting: it’s at the weekend just before Christmas